Flydubai incident: Israeli minister says 'terrorist' wanted to crash plane, kill Israelis

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said on Wednesday that a pilot involved in the flydubai incident had intended to crash the plane and kill Israeli passengers.

The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight diverted to Saudi Arabia after a violent cockpit incident, and authorities are investigating.

What did Ben Gvir say about the flydubai incident?

Ben Gvir described the person involved as a "terrorist" and said the incident showed that Israel's enemies did not value human life. His account came as authorities investigated the circumstances of the emergency, which forced the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight to divert to Saudi Arabia.

Flydubai Flight FZ1073 landed safely at Tabuk airport after transmitting emergency signals while flying over Jordanian airspace. An Israeli official had earlier said the signals were sent after the pilots became involved in a physical altercation.

What did passengers say happened on the flight?

A passenger aboard the aircraft gave a more detailed account. Miryam Shira Ohayon said one of the pilots attacked the other and that the aircraft appeared to go out of control during the confrontation. "The co-pilot tried to murder the pilot and basically carry out a suicide attack on the plane," Ohayon told reporters by speakerphone through her mother, who was waiting at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

She said the aircraft was on the verge of crashing before passengers and other crew members intervened and managed to restrain the co-pilot. "There was also a doctor who gave first aid, and people who treated both of them," she said, adding that no passengers were injured. Ohayon said the danger also came from the aircraft's trajectory during the incident, and that passengers feared the plane would crash as the situation unfolded.

Her mother, Yasmin Abukasis, said her daughter was travelling to Israel to attend a memorial service for her brother, who was killed in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Abukasis told AFP that her daughter "thought they were going to die" and that another woman who entered the cockpit saw "a lot of blood." She said two other pilots were aboard the aircraft and eventually took control of the situation, diverting the plane to Saudi Arabia.

Was the flydubai incident a hijacking?

The incident initially raised fears of a hijacking after the aircraft transmitted an emergency signal indicating possible unlawful interference. Israeli officials later said it was not believed to have been a hijacking, while investigations into the circumstances and motive continued.

Flydubai confirmed that Flight FZ1073, which was carrying passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv, had experienced an "incident" en route and landed safely in Tabuk, with all passengers and crew accounted for. The airline did not provide details about what happened aboard the aircraft.